Finding the gems in your data

Chantecler increased business and managed the ever-increasing complexity of its operations using SAS® Business Analytics

After more than 60 years of crafting some of the world's most luxurious and sought-after jewelry – especially by international jet-setters – Chantecler has grown from an artisan boutique atelier in Capri, Italy, to a Milan-based company of 45 people, with annual sales of more than 20 million euros. Building upon its growth, Chantecler now distributes its fine jewelry through wholesale channels, with an international sales network of 120 multibrand jewelry stores and four single-brand boutiques in Capri, Cortina, Milan and Tokyo.

We chose SAS for its stability, ease of use, the richness of its tools, flexibility and openness.

Gabriele Aprea
President, Chantecler

To manage the increase in business, and the ever-increasing complexity of its operations, Chantecler is using SAS Business Analytics to enhance its reporting and analysis capabilities to support strategic decisions.

"We found ourselves having to manage significant volumes of data," says Gabriele Aprea, President of Chantecler. "With fluctuations in raw material prices and currency exchange rates, we had to drastically shorten the time it takes to generate business analyses and reports. We also needed a single and standardized view of business events and processes, and a systematic approach to monitoring the company's diverse functions, as well as a way to generate business projections."

With the bulk of Chantecler's sales coming from a network of retail agents, the high-end jeweler foresees an even greater volume of data and information to be exchanged with its retail network – beyond communications regarding store product inventory.

"It's important to develop a common culture, because agents are an important part of Chantecler. Their sales forecasts must be as accurate as possible," explains Aprea. "With SAS, we can focus on interacting with our network, personalize messages and respond quickly to external requests – truly competitive levers for a company of our size. We don't want to just sell our product; we want to develop a strong partnership by providing useful information and exceptional service to a store's owner and staff.

"During times of growth, it's fundamental to understand all aspects of your business," he continues. "What you need are dashboards and expertise in sorting and consolidating useful data from the myriad company systems, while ensuring its accuracy and quality for business analysis. Data is very important. Companies don't survive very long if they cannot predict the future. Analytics are used to guide us down the right path; they must provide specific snapshots of situations to establish and share action plans. Analysis is integral to verifying whether our choices were correct, to help refine operations, and modify our operational plans."

Chantecler's owners and executive management team decided on a phased implementation of the analytics environment to cover the basic needs of the company's functions, while planning for future development. "We are working towards better understanding our processes and concentrating on making company processes efficient in all of the company's macro areas – sales, administration, finance, marketing and communications, human resources, research and development, production and logistics.

Challenge

To manage the increase in business, and the ever-increasing complexity of its operations, Chantecler required reporting and analysis capabilities to support strategic decision making